She should also have a list of certain callers that you wish to speak to immediately. There are no "routine" calls in good human relations. Filing within this folder should be made alphabetically rather than by date. After a severe accident, a patient may be rushed to your office without time for someone to alert your office that the patient is coming. Types of Planning This advanced information will help your staff in preparing initial records and offer you a preview of the situation. A holding file is also a constant reminder of things to be done. A patient that leaves the office without an appointment is often considered lost to the practice for all practical purposes. Assistant-Gathered Data. Let's arrange an appointment for Thursday or Friday so that you can discuss this with Dr. Anderson and avoid any recurrence of this problem. * Only access specific info (1) putting a cross-reference sheet under the name in the miscellaneous folder for the letter of the alphabet with which the name begins or If the patient still refuses the suggestion for an appointment, your assistant should let him know that she will give you the message and that you may want to call him. Has the ability to share information in terms her patients can understand. Control. has had a positive treatmill test that suggests an underlying cardiac condition. acupuncture A A smile cannot be seen over the telephone, but it can be felt. You can divide patient records into three distinct categories: (1) active patients who are currently under care and patients who owe the office money whether they are under care or not; It's not convenient for me to come in tomorrow. Tickler filing procedures * Save in folder, * Microsoft excel PATIENT ORIENTATION TO APPOINTMENT POLICIES There is always danger in discouraging patients if they are forced to wait an unreasonable length of time. They standardize practices across the organization and ensure that every patient receives the same level of care. Introduction how long should you time slot in the appointment scheduling for a physical exam. Most successful professionals are quality conscious. Assistants should be thoroughly trained in proper telephone etiquette, cheerful but not familiar, and sincere in wishing to help the caller. This is to achieve consent for therapy. Payroll records This can be accomplished by rescheduling patients on the periodic examination list and patients on a once-a-month program. 1. patients should be and should expect to be treated professionally with respect at all times. OPENING ROUTINES 1. full name of patient. These points will offer you specific facts that can be explored in detail. 3.2). During the initial telephone contact, the assistant usually puts some information on a form when the appointment is scheduled. Such a ledger is usually kept at the appointment desk when you are not on calls so that your assistant can schedule efficiently. The above routine offers a general system that must be amended to meet individual needs of a specific practice. Many of these callers are important to the operation of your practice. Some people can be very persuasive; thus, an assistant should have no doubt about what information can and cannot be given. Reading material should be placed neatly in a rack. Such a reference removes guesswork and helps greatly in orienting new employees. If a patient has to wait more than 15 min, the courteous thing to do is to let the patient know. The Reception Area Ability to solve problems and decide quickly. Your concern over cancellations and changed appointments reaffirms in the patient's mind the importance of office policy and the staff's interest and concern for the welfare of the patient. There is danger in purchasing equipment that will soon be outdated for your needs or purchasing equipment with functions that you will rarely utilize. This only takes a few moments, but it reinforces why the patient must return as scheduled. Excuse slips (Fig. This will give you an opportunity to differentiate between reasons and excuses. Your assistant should greet the entering patient with a smile and cheerful welcome, as if she were the hostess in her own home, being gracious and pleasant and making the patient feel welcomed and at ease. What to Avoid Thus, day sheets are one of the most important control sheets in the office. When patients do this, there is a breakdown in the doctor-patient relationship reflecting that the patient questions your authority, competence, or sincerity. An attitude like this soon grows to a lack of respect because your assistant was not in control of the situation on its first occurrence. 3.33) and transfer its information each month to a master list kept in the business office or the central storage area. Was the patient adequately educated of office policies, and were appointment policies emphasized? While a charge for a broken appointment is legal in most states, most doctors feel that the procedure is psychologically unsound except in rare cases. What letters an assistant will write above her signature and what letters she will prepare for your signature is a matter of your office policy. 3.1) to run smoothly with less possibility of omitting necessary actions. This takes considerable discipline in time management (critical paths) if the long-range objectives are given a specific deadline. * Pronounce distinctly CLOSING ROUTINES The master list is usually kept in a 3-ring binder with subdivisions differentiating such items as: This includes whether or not the patient is a patient of the practice. Other information most important to technical assistants are the established clinical procedures and samples of pertinent forms. Such situations, however, should be rare for any one patient. If you are busy but expecting an important call, your assistant should be alerted to this fact. Regularity. A good appointment book is a prerequisite of a good appointment system. A cancellation may be the result of a death in the family. You name and address can be imprinted on the purchase orders or rubber stamped at the office. You may be an examiner for or a consultant to one or more insurance companies. 4. marital status. An assistant should be trained to arrange for these consultations with the appropriate specialist's appointment secretary. If an opening is available, your assistant can explain office policy yet comply with the request if the patient can be worked into your schedule without causing confusion. This takes considerable discipline in time management (critical paths) if the long-range objectives are given a specific deadline. Interest in a patient's progress, family, and hobbies is appreciated. Dust from plant leaves should be wiped clean, followed by use of a leaf spray. A running inventory of supplies is the best procedure to assure that enough materials are available at all times. Although some types of policies are relevant to most practices, the extensiveness of your policy manual will depend on the way your particular practice operates, as well as whether you have support staff and if so, how many people you employ. Start with the big picture When speaking with patients, it's helpful to frame what you're saying in a way that drives major points home. 9. Because people meet unexpected problems, occasional tardiness must be accepted as a part of reality. The Mystery Caller. The specific days given in this example are not as important as grasping the logic of the procedure involved. For example, your assistant can answer the ring with, "Dr. Johnson's office. a mother arrives in the office around 11 am demanding an appointment immediately for her child, who is quiet and alert. Strive for more efficiency. Data Control Everything You Need to Know. Just as any good attorney will tell you that the best defense against a malpractice claim is good clinical records, any good accountant will tell you that the first requisite against paying unnecessary taxes is good administrative and management records. Telephone transmission appears to be best when the mouthpiece is held about an inch directly in front of the lips. These forms are usually designed so that a group of questions refers to a pertinent system of the body. Papers relating to a particular subject should be clipped together; and when they reach a logical number, a separate folder may be made. Technology in this area, for both hardware (equipment) and software (programs), is advancing rapidly. Examination Records Front office communication not only includes verbal or textual communication but also body language of the staff. To avoid overcrowding your files, records should be moved immediately when patients change their status from "current" to "active" or when "active" patients can be designated as "inactive patients" or "former patients." Filing equipment comes in a large variety of styles and sizes. When appropriate, entries are made for recall, thank you letters, etc, and entered either in the case record or another file. Good planning is essentially a problem-solving adventure where certain questions must be answered. Minutes (Meetings) On the human side, rare is the doctor who is thorough in record keeping who does not maintain strong doctor-patient relationships --a basic key in practice development. Following are some essential attributes the front office staff must have . A few minutes later, Mrs. Anderson calls to confirm her daughter's appointment time. A very late patient should be asked to reschedule the appointment or wait until there is time in the schedule for proper care. Clinical report processing. An assistant should also prevent patients from crossing each other's paths. There is usually no reason to retain the envelope unless the letter does not contain a return address or if the addresses do not match. 3.25). Determine your patient's readiness to learn. Document patient care 8. This is Miss Andrews. Which do you prefer? Letters With an Assistant's Signature. The Inquisitive Caller. When enclosures are approximately the same size as the letter, the common procedure is for your assistant to fold the enclosures, then fold the letter and slip the enclosures inside the last fold of the letter so that when the letter is removed from the envelope, the enclosures will come out with it. This will avoid stress and inefficient services. Communication of sympathy, congratulations, and the like cannot be expressed if the facts are not known. (c) What is the difference in energy between the cases that \boldsymbol{\mu} is parallel to B\mathbf{B}B and antiparallel? the following two functions: Write a test program that reads three sides for a triangle and computes the area if the Duty Schedules and the Procedural Manual It is most difficult and hypocritical to criticize patients for being late for their appointments if the doctor is consistently behind schedule. An objective analysis should be made of your practice objectives, financial position, management capability, supervisory expertise, and personnel practices. This is the DC's moral and professional obligation, even if you know that your constructive suggestions may be going in one ear of the patient and out the other. Spelling should be clarified when necessary. Some books allow one page for each day, while others show Monday through Saturday on two opposing pages, 3 days to a page (Fig. Manage conflict between personal and professional responsibilities. 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